Auvreria (4 page)

I can feel it,
I said.

Aurora
roared.
Then bring the light into this valley after centuries of darkness. Bring the sun again into the heavens.
I imagined the light. My hand spread the light into the sky. It took the form of the Northern Lights on Earth. Pink, green, yellow, purple, and light blue danced along the valley. I was uncertain if the sun would rise. It just didn't make sense. I tried again, focusing more, and I felt light touch my face. I saw the sun rise from the dark horizon. The valley shone with my joy. I couldn't believe it. I had done it!

I heard Aurora's voice
.
I will see you in another time, sister. You have been here too long in the cold. Your inner harmony will guide you back to Aethra. When Arthaesia calls you, think of me, and we shall reunite. We will start this battle anew.

I wished her goodbye, and I closed my eyes. I became light. I found my way back home. I wonder
ed what other mysteries I would solve. My destiny was a fragile leaf in a tornado. What can a leaf change in the crazy wind? And yet there was something about this that had a deeper meaning. I felt calm like the sea and accepted any new challenges that were thrown at me.

Home, sweet home

April 17
th
, 2014

There I was
, standing in my backyard. I saw my backpack–the one I had taken on the trip–lying on the ground. I found my phone at the bottom and looked at the time. It was ten o'clock, April 17
th
, 2014.

Why couldn't Maldelsoul or the others in Arthaesia teleport to this world? Estrella and I
were the only ones who crossed the boundaries. I wondered if the bird knew the two remaining elements. If she led me to the Tree of Life, then I could find it again before Maldelsoul. It wouldn’t happen any other way. The next time I saw my sister I would unravel the mystery of the Tree of Life.

My father came into the backyard. It was strange how I was always greeted
by one of my parents after I returned. “I thought you were on a school trip. Did you miss your bus? I can drive you there.”

“No, it's okay
, Dad. My trip, uh, got canceled. And besides, I feel a little tired. I’m going to go to my room and rest.”

“Did you get in trouble? Why do you have scratches on your face and arms? I need to know what happened.”

“No big deal; I had an accident on my way there. I, uh, fell into the bushes. Don't worry.”

As
I walked into the house, I saw my father looking sadly into the pond. I felt sorry for him; he worked all day long, and no one paid any attention to him. Every day my parents were exhausted by tons of work. They didn’t care if I was around them or in my room. Soon he would leave, and I would have time to sleep. Being in the house alone did not calm my fears. In the afternoon I would invite my friends over and tell them. We could eat some birthday cake that my mom left me. I climbed the stairs to my room and instantly fell asleep on my bed.

I woke up at two o'clock in the afternoon.
Recent events filled my thoughts. I wanted to share them with my two closest friends, Delancey and Ryan. They might believe this story. Who knew magic was real? My gaze shifted to the plants in the window. I stretched my hands while yawning. Suddenly the plants began to grow rapidly. I panicked. I tried to calm myself down by remembering what I did to make the sun rise. I imagined the motion of the plants stopping.

I changed
out of my dirty clothes and went downstairs to eat some soup. After I washed the dishes, I heard the doorbell ring. At the door stood Delancey and Ryan. Delancey was very worried, so she started talking fast.

“Where have you been
all day?” she asked. “I got so worried when you just disappeared into the woods! I thought a wolf ate you, or worse, you fell off a cliff. What were you thinking? I couldn't say anything because we would have got in serious trouble. Ryan and I need an explanation! Tell us everything.”

I said, “Would you believe a lie and think the truth is a fairy
tale? So much has happened to me. If you are truly my friends, then please hear me out.”

I
nside, they sat on the couch, and I grabbed a chair to sit in front of them. I started with my morning, and then I moved on to the impossible fantasy. It took me an hour to finish my story. A short break followed. Delancey was still worried, and Ryan was in wonder.

“Wow...” said
Delancey. “I don’t want to offend you, but this story sounds like it came from a crazy person.”

Ryan said, “
We need more proof. The medallion is not enough.”

“What about the mark on my palm?” I
replied.

“It
’s a simple, pointless tattoo!” Delancey shouted.

“I don't blame you,” I whispered
, “for not seeing the truth. I had a hard time putting things together myself. One part of me wants to accept the fantasy, and the other clings to logic. Never mind—let’s get some ice cream. It’s such a hot day!”

When I
looked in the kitchen, I found juice, but no ice cream. I got an idea. If I could freeze the juice in front of my friends using my magical abilities, then they would accept it as proof. I called them to the kitchen. “Watch everything I do.” I took three cups and filled them with juice on the counter. I put my right hand out. Their expressions showed deep confusion. I used the same hand motion Almag had taught me. My eyes closed, and I imagined the cups full of frozen juice. I opened them. Nothing had happened. I tried again. I tried to feel harmony and focus this time on the element of water. My imagination led me to believe the ice had frozen into beautiful patterns. I opened my eyes, and my hand glowed with neon light. Specks of frost came from my hand as the juice froze completely.

Delancey
said in a loud voice, “What? But how did you do it?”

T
he frost didn’t stop with the juice. The magic continued flowing through me, and the ice spread onto the table and then the floors and the chairs. I had to think fast! If I could rotate my hand in a counterclockwise direction, I would probably counter the spell. The ice did stop spreading, but it didn’t disappear. “My mom will be home soon!” I said. “What do I do?”

“Don't panic
,” she said. “You could maybe use the element opposite of ice. Who knows what might happen? Oh!” Delancey slipped on the icy floor.

The thought of fire made me scared.
Because my powers were in full control, I concentrated on the image and feel of fire on my hand. A few moments later, it appeared. Ryan yelped. I used its warmth to melt the ice. In a couple of minutes, the entire kitchen was wet. The fire from my hands disappeared just as I heard the door open. It was my mother. “What has happened here? Why are the floor and furniture wet?”

I answered, “Um, we had a water party. We got a little carried away...
. Sorry, guys, party’s over.” Ryan and Delancey left the house like they were running a race. I told my mother I had a huge project, and I went into my room feeling startled.

Living room

April 27
th
, 2014

Although this world made me feel secure, part of me missed the adventure, the mystery, and the impossibility. I knew the truth, and I
had opened its door to reality. I found the missing puzzle piece of the inner truth that was yet to be put together. My journey was impossible, but every journey has challenges that let us grow and learn from our mistakes.

Could I change the flow of the predictable events in Arthaesia? I thought about my parents, my sister, and my grandfather. I wanted to know the real world I
had come from, and the next obvious step was to ask my parents on Earth. I couldn’t talk with my friends; they were still in shock. I got up from my chair and went to class. After school, I ran home. Clouds gathered, darkening the landscape. My homework was done before my parents came home. This time I had to be serious.

“Hey
, mom and dad, I would like to talk to you.”

My mother said, “Sorry
, darling, we have to do a lot of things. We’re very busy.”

“What? Can you just please talk to me? Why can't I
talk in this family? After your busy day, you ignore me until bedtime! I have one simple question: am I adopted?”

M
y parents looked worried and depressed. They sat down on the couch. Their expressions were confused and grave. “How did you know?” my mother exclaimed. “I should never have told Margaret and her family about this.” She took a deep breath. “We found you on a hiking trip. We couldn’t find anyone who had left you there. You were sad, and we just had to take you and raise you as our own child. We cared about you.”

“I can't believe this!” I said. “I have never felt any connection to you as my parents. It
has been like prison living here. You always talked down to me and left me with babysitters while you traveled the world. I know you had better things to do than be with me...” I was so mad I flung my arms up in the air. At the same time, lightning shot in the window behind my back. My parents were terrified. I ran to my room, locked the door, and started crying.

Even though it wasn
’t night yet, I went to bed. I had to go back to Arthaesia and help them. I was not needed here, or loved. My soul was melancholy. I felt Aurora's presence in my heart.
Do not hate them,
she said.
This is not their fault. They tried their best with you. Take a breath and let go. Forgive them. I will always be there for you. Let go of the depression. Let your heart be open to love and not hatred. Find the cherry tree in the forest, and arise with inner beauty, tranquility, and victory even in the darkest hour of life.
I felt that she was right. My soul was calm, and I fell asleep.

I woke up before dawn. I looked for clues to find the name of the forest where my parents
had found me. I had no luck, and then I saw an old photo on top of a shelf. I pulled it off and sat down on a chair to examine it. The metal of the frame was rusty, the plastic was clouded, and the picture was hardly visible. It appeared to be my parents and me at the beach. I was about four years old. On the back of the photo was a note: “Location: found in the Greenhill Forest, 20 yards west of Stone Falls, on a small hill with a cherry tree. Identity: Unknown.” I felt like Nancy Drew. I gathered my things and left to find the place.

Taking the bus to the other side of town and walking in the damp forest for hours exhausted me
, but I finally reached Stone Falls, a technically nonexistent place thought to be cursed by demons. The ice on the stones is left over from the Ice Age. I stood on the gigantic rocks that overlooked the cold crevasse. At the bottom, the ice surrounded the dark halls of caves.

Something must have happened here. I did not take any risks, and I used my compass to walk west. A light breeze picked up. I gathered my strength and followed the westward wind. The sun fell on the plants and gave them a warm glow. I felt the morning energy of the forest. The ground was moist after yesterday's storm. Amongst the tall, deciduous trees I could not find the cherry tree.
This type of tree couldn’t live in harsh weather. Our town was always having some weather catastrophe; if I had been lost here, I would not have survived one day in these woods.

My
gaze landed on a white bird gliding gracefully through the tangled foliage. I ran to see where she went. A strong wind followed her. The mist curved into beautiful figures of gray clouds. I came to a small, stony hill where I saw a cherry tree in full bloom. The white phoenix, Estrella, was sitting on a branch. Her feathers were marked with golden symbols, and she had an aura. It was just like one of the dreams of my childhood. I touched the tree and felt the connection between earth and sky. The sun shone through the mist. The missing parts of my memories returned. My emotions changed like a beautiful transition in a piano melody. I heard an echoing voice say
One petal falls. The tree lives and never falls.
The phoenix flung out her wings, and the wind took all the flowers from the tree. Petals flew around me until they became snow. Before me appeared a mountainous valley of pine trees. It was twilight, and the stars and sky deepened the valley into rich and luminous colors.

The secret hideout of the Clamoor Clan

April 29
th
, 2014

M
oments passed as I looked around the cold land. The ice-blue mountains with their green forests stood out of the misty clouds. Two soldiers were approaching in the distance. When they came closer, they saw me and stood in shock. They wore uniforms bearing the white dragon forming a circle. Inside the circle were three symbols, and outside was a triangular mountain. The symbols were gold, the dragon was white, the mountain was green, and the background was deep blue. The soldiers’ garments were battle-worn. They had light protective armor in their uniforms.

One said, “She
’s a witch! Grab her before she escapes and tells the evil clan. Oh, do it quick, you idiot!” After putting all my energy into getting to the place where the cherry tree stood, I could not react in time. A net went over my head.

I woke up in a pit of decaying soil. The only way out was above
, and it was locked and chained. Well this is great—and I can freeze to death, too! I heard the clash of armor. The smell of burnt metal and the steady marching rhythm of battle drums came to me. I heard soldiers walk past my pit. One stopped.